According to the law it is any act of canvassing, enlisting, contracting, transporting, utilizing, hiring or procuring workers and includes referring, contract services, promising or advertising for employment abroad, whether for profit or not, when undertaken by a non-license or non-holder of authority contemplated under Article 13 (F) of Presidential Decree No. 442, as amended otherwise known as the Labor Code of the Philippines: Provided, That any such non-licensee or non-holder who, in any manner, offers or promises for a fee employment abroad to two or more persons shall be deemed so engaged. (Sec. 6, RA 8042).

It shall likewise include the following acts, whether committed by any persons, whether a non-licensee, non-holder, licensee or holder of authority.

To charge or accept directly or indirectly any amount greater than the specified in the schedule of allowable fees prescribed by the Secretary of Labor and Employment, or to make a worker pay any amount greater than that actually received by him as a loan or advance;

To furnish or publish any false notice or information or document in relation to recruitment or employment;

To give any false notice, testimony, information or document or commit any act of misrepresentation for the purpose of securing a license or authority under the Labor Code;

To induce or attempt to induce a worker already employed to quit his employment in order to offer him another unless the transfer is designed to liberate a worker from oppressive terms and conditions of employment;

To influence or attempt to influence any persons or entity not to employ any worker who has not applied for employment through his agency;

To engage in the recruitment of placement of workers in jobs harmful to public health or morality or to dignity of the Republic of the Philippines;

To obstruct or attempt to obstruct inspection by the Secretary of Labor and Employment or by his duly authorized representative;

To fail to submit reports on the status of employment, placement vacancies, remittances of foreign exchange earnings, separations from jobs, departures and such other matters or information as may be required by the Secretary of Labor and Employment;

To substitute or alter to the prejudice of the worker, employment contracts approved and verified by the Department of Labor and Employment from the time of actual signing thereof by the parties up to and including the period of the expiration of the same without the approval of the Department of Labor and Employment;

For an officer or agent of a recruitment or placement agency to become an officer or member of the Board of any corporation engaged in travel agency or to be engaged directly on indirectly in the management of a travel agency;

To withhold or deny travel documents from applicant workers before departure for monetary or financial considerations other than those authorized under the Labor Code and its implementing rules and regulations;

Failure to actually deploy without valid reasons as determined by the Department of Labor and Employment; and

Failure to reimburse expenses incurred by the workers in connection with his documentation and processing for purposes of deployment, in cases where the deployment does not actually take place without the worker's fault. Illegal recruitment when committed by a syndicate or in large scale shall be considered as offense involving economic sabotage.

Illegal recruitment is deemed committed by a syndicate carried out by a group of three (3) or more persons conspiring or confederating with one another. It is deemed committed in large scale if committed against three (3) or more persons individually or as a group.

The persons criminally liable for the above offenses are the principals, accomplices and accessories. In case of juridical persons, the officers having control, management or direction of their business shall be liable.

Above list are the grounds for illegal recruitment so do not be a victim and beware if the following appear on your Manning Agency.

Recruitment Agency also known as Foreign Placement Agency refers to a foreign principal indirectly engaging the services of Overseas Filipino Workers or OFWs or also known as Manning Agency.

Private Employment Agency refers to any person, partnership or corporation engaged in the recruitment and placement of workers for a fee, which is charged, directly or indirectly, from the workers or employers or both.

If the job you are applying for was posted by a recruitment agency either a foreign placement agency or a local employment agency; verify first, to make sure the agent you are dealing with is authorized or licensed by POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration) and has the proper job order and the person transacting business with you is legitimately connected with the licensed agency. You should apply only at the registered office of the recruitment agency. If the recruitment is conducted outside the registered office address, verify if it has a provincial recruitment authority issued by POEA or has been allowed to conduct recruitment activity outside their office. Ask for a copy of employment contract and study the terms and conditions. Do not pay the any fee unless you have been hired and signed the employment contract. Always ask for a receipt corresponding to any payment.

Agencies shall charge from their principals a service fee to cover services rendered in the recruitment, documentation and placement of workers.

Documentation costs to be paid by the worker shall include, but not limited to, the following:

Passport

NBI/Police/Barangay Clearance

Authentication

Birth Certificate

Medicare

Trade Test, if necessary

Inoculation, when required by host country

Medical Examination fees

In the event that the recruitment agency agrees to perform documentation services, the worker shall pay only the actual cost of the document which shall be covered by official receipts.

These are the only authorized payments that may be collected from a hired worker. No other charges in whatever form, manner or purpose, shall be imposed on and be paid by the worker without prior approval of the POEA.

Please be aware of the above information, you might be a victim of illegal recruitment. Just make sure you will inquire first to POEA for valid manning agency and confirm if their job orders are valid.